5 Frame Nucs

[Onge]

Unfortunately not...

Otherwise there would be a massive order coming his way

hint hint

 

[Finman]

.
I bought my first polyboxes 1987. They are still in usage because they have the year labels.

Mice and woodpecker make sometimes holes and bees bite upper entrance larger.

But it is easy to repair the wall with piece of wall and polyurethane glue.
It needs a small water mist on surfaces and the glue hardens with water and kaes a little bit foam.

http://www.mtmc.co.uk/uploads/images_products/23179.jpg

**************

Yes, if you split the poly box in two pieces with table saw, you have 2 nucs.

.

 

[MuswellMetro]

just seen a beeks polystyrene Nuc that takes 14X12 frames, it was at our out apiary, i understand its a Park Bees of Blackheath Polyhive NUC

Had a further look at an empty Park Bees Poly Nuc, there does not seem to be any ventelation except the entrancee

none in the roof, none in the floor, it is all solid poly

does this cause over heating in summer,

i was thinking of using one to force a supercedue in August by a split off of the old queen and keeping the old queen over winter in the poly Nuc..so might need to reduce entrnace for wasp defence

 

[Hombre]

I believe that Murray McGregor is a Swienty agent. A pal of PH.

 

[milkermel]

Ok I know the topic has moved on a bit from original page so hope people dont mind me asking some question in relation to Petes destructions!!

I am in a situation where i am looking after someones hive for them. They want noting to do with it bar a few jars of honey! The hive had been empty and full of wax moth and manky frames. after cleaning hive up a swarm moved in within about 4-8 weeks. The hive is in an area which is a hot spot for swarms! (hubby is a pestie and gets call for them all the time) So my plan for this year was maybe to put a nuce box out with some drawn frames on and see if the same happens again?

Is this a feasable option? and if so would i be better off making more of a slit rather than a drilled hole for the bees?

 

[oliver90owner]

A National brood box is a better size. Most decent sized swarms would not be enticed into a nuc box.

Why not collect the swarms that hubby gets all those calls for? Much more certain to be succesful many times over.

Regards, RAB

 

[BKF Admin]

A National brood box is a better size. Most decent sized swarms would not be enticed into a nuc box.
Regards, RAB

Read the above and remember it if you have not tried for a swarm before,its top advice from Rab.

 

[Poly Hive]

Poly Langstroth is available from both Murray McGregor and also from Hamish Robertson or his son Nigel at Struan Apiaries. Struan also sell a poly unit which takes Smith frames and so are very close to being "National" if you have an eye for nucs.

I have not seen the Swienty floors for the Langstroth but the ones that Struan sells have a upstand on each corner which makes them highly suitable for moving.

I was disappointed to see that the Swienty National migratory floors did not copy this very useful feature.

Density of poly is reflected in price as in most things you get what quality you pay for and oddly in general the better quality lasts longer. The poly from Struan ex Germany, and ex Swienty is of the more expensive and hence denser material. My first polys came from Struan and were lasting very well until their untimely burning by a farmer in a moment of insanity.

Nuc boxes are pretty hopeless for enticing swarms as the preferred size is 30 litres of volume. This was researched in the States I seem to remember reading.

http://www.culturaapicola.com.ar/ap...ifera_seleccion_cavidades_nuevas_colonias.pdf

PH

 

[m100]

Nuc boxes are pretty hopeless for enticing swarms as the preferred size is 30 litres of volume. This was researched in the States I seem to remember reading.

The size was in a paper by Seeley if I recall correctly.

I had a local swarm (source unknown) occupy a Thornes 5 frame nuc box during June last year, they measure about 15 litres or so.

They have since built up into a useful colony.

 

[milkermel]

Yes rab in an ideal world then hubbies called out swarms would be what i want! however, and rightly so, due to the increased awareness of the general public the last few years have seen and big decrease in the number of removable swarms that have come my hubbies way. In the past OH would be called out, realise that it was bees not wasps speak to local beeks and get it removed. Now all he tends to get calls for is swarms that have settled in chimneys etc that cant be removed by a bee keeper. Unfortuneately then if the customer wants them gone then there is only one option available that we are aware of so bees dont make it to me.

I was basically just hoping to sort something out without having to invest in another hive.

I do have some ply brood box internals for the other owners wbc. If i sorted a lid and base out - would that be appealing enough do you think?? with frames of course!